


I Fell For You

by TheWolfWithinMe



Category: Dan Howell - Fandom, Phandom, Phil Lester - Fandom, dan and phil
Genre: FallenAngel!Dan, M/M, Suicidal!Phil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 08:46:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19269781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWolfWithinMe/pseuds/TheWolfWithinMe
Summary: Thrown out of Heaven, Dan walks the streets of London, caring about nothing.Absolutely nothing.Except a blue eyed, black haired boy standing on the edge of a rooftop.Angel!Dan Suicidal!Phil





	1. Chapter 1

He hit the Earth hard. A tangle of limbs and black feathers.   
They used to be white but, well, that was another story.   
“Ouch — stupid angels, stupid heaven.”  
Painfully moving himself into a sitting position, the male — now dusty and looking more disheveled than angelic — flicked a few loose feathers off his shoulder and studied his new surroundings.  
His new home.  
It was noisy for one; a bustle of traffic, humanity and... music?  
Not the heavenly kind he was used to either, but rather a more aggressive, catchier beat. The sound was stuck in his head within minutes.   
Maybe banishment wouldn’t be so bad, after all.  
But first, he needed new clothes—because the simple white suit he was currently wearing was one; dirty and smudged and two; not his style.   
Lifting a hand, he snapped his fingers and the suit instantly disappeared, swiftly replaced by a black shirt and jeans.   
He may as well match his new wing colour.   
Speaking of — the fallen angel stretched out his wings. The once glacier white feathers were now an inky black — with a tinge of emerald green when under the right lighting.   
He flapped one and then the other, causing more loose feathers to fall softly to the ground.   
His wings would recover, but he couldn’t say the same about his dignity.  
Being here — on Earth — was new and daunting, yet it was better than the alternative. He had broken the rules, and soon the other angels would descend to drag his ass to Hell.   
But first they had to find him.  
Hiding his wings behind glamour in a half-assed attempt at appearing ‘human’, he headed off in the direction of the music. People barely tossed him a glance, and he didn’t know whether to be relieved—or offended. He was an angel, after all. Surely the humans should be bowing at his feet? Still, blending in was a good thing under the current circumstances, he supposed.   
The aroma of freshly cooked hot dogs quickly reached his nostrils and he licked his lips, about to take another step forward and investigate when he heard a shout.  
“He’s going to jump!”  
“Someone call the police!”  
“How did he even get up there?!”  
The fallen angel — now intrigued by this new development — followed the voices. His gaze lifted and he saw the person in question teetering on the edge of a nearby roof. He could hear the human’s heartbeat from down here, all frantic and full of fear.   
And he could also hear people pulling out their phones, chanting: “Jump, jump, jump!”  
Oh, how he hated humanity.   
This wasn’t his problem. He was /fallen/, and yet... he couldn’t turn away.  
So with a frustrated growl — aimed both at himself and the useless people around him — he shook out his damaged wings and took off, soaring towards the rooftop.   
His feet landed silently behind the other moments later and he could see that the person was a youngish male. No older than twenty.   
“Are you okay?”  
He hadn’t heard his Earth voice in so long that he’d forgotten how s o f t it was, and yet it still carried on the breeze, making the other guy jump and whirl around.  
“How did you get up here?!”  
“I flew. What about you?”  
The male just stared at him with ridiculously blue eyes.   
“Alright. Let’s try an easier question.” The angel combed a hand through his curly hair. “What’s your name?”  
Silence, and then. “P-Phil.”  
“Hi Phil, I’m Daniel. But you can call me Dan,” He took a small step forwards. “Please just call me Dan.”   
Phil, however, seemed to be at a complete loss for words, and out of fear—or confusion—he edged backwards. One foot fell and Dan watched as the human stumbled with a yelp; regret and horror flashing across his features before the angel threw himself forwards and grabbed the guy’s arm. Using his wings as an anchor, he carefully backed up again, fingers still clutching onto the other.   
“That was close.”  
Phil simply nodded, face pale and legs shaking. “T-Thank you...”  
Dan gave an awkward smile. He wasn’t used to being thanked.   
Releasing his grip on the male, he knew that he should leave. Heaven would know about this, and he wasn’t ready to get caught yet.   
Before he could do anything however, a door burst open and suddenly the police were spilling onto the rooftop, followed by paramedics. They ignored Dan, who backed off into the shadows, and crowded around Phil, asking him questions.   
“Take him to the hospital. He needs to be watched for the next few days.” One officer said to a medic. “I don’t know what made him change his mind — but thank God he did!”  
Dan just scowled.   
He /really/ should leave.   
His dark gaze met Phil’s light one, and he was rewarded with a warm smile. One powerful enough to make angels fall.   
Maybe he could stay for a few more hours, just to make sure Phil was okay.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally meant to be a one shot but hahaha nope, my mind won’t shut up.

Dan followed the ambulance by air, his wings gliding silently over the nondescript buildings. As he flew his thoughts drifted down to Earth and to where Phil was. 

The angel had so many questions, like: why was Phil trying to kill himself? Where were his friends? Dan had learned about humans whilst in Heaven, and knew that they did better in groups. The mind was a dangerous thing when alone, as he had already witnessed once tonight. 

Then he asked himself why he actually cared. There were six billion humans on Earth so why was this particular one so special? 

He watched as the ambulance weaved through traffic beneath him, using a small miracle here and there to clear the roads. Technically speaking, he shouldn’t be using his powers anymore — having lost that privilege when he fell. But what were the other angels going to do? Rip his wings out and toss him into hell? 

Again, they would have to catch him first. And the more he surrounded himself with humankind, the more he became tainted, thus harder for them to detect.

Though not impossible.

The ambulance finally stopped outside a large building and Dan landed gracefully on the rooftop, his sharp vision catching sight of Phil as he was wheeled out onto the street. Even from a distance, Dan could see the blank expression on the other’s face, the lack of life in those once sparkling blue eyes. 

He waited for Phil and the paramedics to head inside the building before dropping down onto the pavement and tucking his wings away. Eyeing the large double doors, he hesitated. Going inside was the same as trapping himself, and that made him more vulnerable to the other angels. But then he remembered the expression on Phil’s face — which was now scarred into his mind — and the anxiety fell away, leaving him with only determination.

He hurried up the stone steps and shoved one of the doors open, his eyes scanning around for Phil’s whereabouts. He could smell the death in here, the despair, but also the love and the hopefulness. It shone through like a beacon and even though he was fallen, and no longer pure, it called out to him. Granting a few more miracles couldn’t hurt, could they?

As he walked towards the reception desk, an old man bumped into him. Dan could see the change almost immediately — minutes ago the man was bent over and stiff, but now he stood up straight and had fire in his eyes. A youthful expression replacing the pained one from before. He glanced at Dan and opened his mouth to speak, but the angel merely shook his head. 

“Don’t question it, just... just enjoy it.”

The more he helped people, the more he was putting himself on the radar. And yet, it felt good. He watched as the man bounded away and then turned towards the reception desk, suddenly feeling awkward. For a powerful divine being, he sure sucked at communication and human interaction. With Phil it felt right. Natural. 

Here? Not so much.

“Um, hello. I’m wondering if you could help me,” he started, “a guy was just brought in... dark hair, pale, around twenty.”

The receptionist flicked through a pile of paperwork and nodded. “A Mr. Lester? He’s up on the third floor. They’re keeping him in for observation tonight.”

“Can I see him?”

The woman regarded Dan with an unblinking stare, “Are you his boyfriend?”

He could be truthful and say no, then turn around and leave because really, this wasn’t his problem. Phil was in safe hands, and that’s all that mattered, right? But a small part of him still wanted to know /why/ Phil was on the roof in the first place. 

“Yes, I am.” He found himself saying, extremely grateful that he could keep his expression so easily composed. A perk of being an angel. 

“Then feel free to go up. I’ll call ahead and let them know you’re coming.” She gave a small smile and gestured towards the elevators, which Dan promptly ignored in favour of the stairs. Being in a small box seemed like a bad idea to him. 

He took the stairs two at a time, his footsteps echoing off the bare walls, and then hovered nervously outside the door. What if Phil didn’t want to see him again? He was more invested in this human than he would have liked, and just walking away was no longer an option.

So he lifted one hand and knocked — his fingers twitching anxiously as he waited for someone to either allow him inside or tell him to get lost.

The reply came moments later.

“Come in.”

Dan opened the door a nudge and poked his head inside, his gaze landing on Phil who was safely tucked up into bed. An untouched glass of orange juice sat on the nightstand beside him. 

“Hey,” Phil uttered softly, a flicker of surprise dancing across his features, “What are you doing here?”

He was still pale, Dan noticed, but seemed more alive. Eyes more sparkly. 

Letting himself into the room, the angel lingered awkwardly at the end of Phil’s bed. 

“I just wanted to check up on you and see how you’re doing.”

Phil moved into a more comfortable position and eyed Dan carefully. “I’m... okay, I guess.” He sighed, running a tired hand through his hair. “They’ve got me on suicide watch. I’m such an idiot...”

The last few words were said quietly, as though Phil was speaking to himself, but Dan picked up on them. Moving closer to where the other lay, he offered a warm smile.

“You’re not an idiot.” Not at all. In fact, Phil must be pretty damn special to catch the eye of an angel. “But please stay away from rooftops from now on.”

Because Dan may not be able to save him again. 

Phil laughed quietly, though it lacked any true conviction. “Thank you again... for saving me. I owe you big time for that.”

Waving a dismissive hand, Dan grabbed a chair and sat down beside the other. “You don’t owe me anything, but I would really appreciate it if you stayed alive.” He watched as a nurse entered the room and began making notes on a clipboard before her gaze met his. “I need to ask Mr. Lester some questions, would you mind waiting outside?”

“No!” 

Both Dan and the nurse flicked their attention towards Phil, the latter raising an eyebrow. 

“I want him to stay. Please.” 

“But sir, this is a confidential matter—“

“He saved my life,” Phil responded firmly, eyes flashing with a strength Dan hadn’t seen before, “he stays.”

The nurse set the clipboard back down, “As you wish,” She ignored Dan and focused entirely on Phil, her expression now apologetic, “I’m sorry to say that your family want you sectioned. As soon as possible.”

Perhaps Dan should have left after all, then he wouldn’t have seen the look of raw fear on Phil’s face. The involuntary twitch of his eye. 

“But I’m over eighteen...” He said quietly, the strength from before now long gone. “I’m an adult, they can’t do—“

“You were on a rooftop merely hours ago, Mr. Lester, which hints at you being unstable and in need of professional help.”

Dan watched the conversation silently, unsure of what to do. If Phil was sectioned, he’d be safe. But he’d also be trapped and unhappy, and alone. Chewing on his lower lip and wanting to alleviate some of the fear Phil was feeling, Dan reached out and took ahold of his hand, causing the other to stop talking and stare at him.

“You don’t have to do this alone.”

The words came out of his mouth before Dan could stop them, and a voice inside started screaming ‘no! What are you doing?! You’re fallen! You should be running away not getting involved with /humans/.’

“Do you mean that?” Phil replied faintly, cutting off the voices in Dan’s head. All he could hear now was that soft northern accent. 

“I do.”


	3. Chapter 3

It was comedic, really. A fallen angel taking a human under his wing — both metaphorically and literally — but Dan was adamant. Seeing the warmth in Phil’s eyes when he said he was going to stay filled Dan with a sense of hope. Maybe he could save Phil... and maybe, just maybe Phil could save him too.

The hospital wasn’t keen on letting Phil go, and although Dan didn’t agree with the sectioning diagnosis, he was thankful that they actually cared about his new friend. Both parties wanted Phil to stay alive. Still, it took a lot of persuasion and a little bit of divine intervention before they relented. 

“I’m releasing Mr. Lester into your care.” A nurse said, clipboard still in hand. “He needs to come back tomorrow for a check up, and then every other day after that.” She eyed Dan for a moment, then broke into a soft smile. “He’s lucky to have you, you know?”

“Seeing him on that rooftop... it broke my heart.” Dan replied truthfully, mentally reliving the events of that night. “No one should be alone — especially in their darkest times.”

He gave the nurse a small, sad smile and signed Phil’s release papers. He was officially in charge of a human now. 

Phil joined them both a few minutes later, clearly eager to escape. “Am I free to go?”

“You are.” The nurse said with a nod. “But I expect you back here tomorrow morning.”

xXx

Phil led Dan back to his apartment. It was small but clean, with a dozen house plants dotted here and there. The angel brushed his fingers over the leaves of one; watching in amazement as it burst out into brightly coloured buds. 

“How did you do that?!”

Spinning around, Dan wore a lopsided grin. “Guess I have the magic touch.” 

Oh, if only Phil knew the /truth/.

“Clearly.” Phil muttered quietly, eyes wide. “I’ve been struggling with that plant for months.” 

As the plant continued to bloom, Dan allowed his gaze to wander over the other boy’s body. “How are you feeling?”

“Better now that I’m out of that place.” Phil answered, ripping the tag off his arm and chucking it into a nearby trash can. Then he fell into an awkward silence. 

Dan wanted to ask /why/? Why was Phil on the rooftop in the first place? Why was he so determined to die? Why was he alone?

But that could wait. 

“You should sleep.” He offered instead, moving towards Phil and carefully guiding him into the bedroom. This area was filled with bright objects—a vast contrast to Phil’s current mindset, and it made Dan falter. 

His gaze fell towards the laptop on Phil’s bed. “You have the internet?”

“Of course.” The other blinked. “Don’t you?”

Dan could hardly say that the internet didn’t exist in Heaven, so he merely shook his head instead. 

“Really?! Oh, but it’s brilliant! There’s a site called YouTube and —“ Phil was babbling now, eyes alight with a passion Dan hadn’t seen before. He grabbed the angel’s hand and pulled him onto the bed before flipping the laptop open. 

Guess sleep could wait as well.

YouTube turned out to be the best thing Dan had seen — aside from Phil, of course — and he was soon lost in all the different videos the place offered. From cats on skateboards to llamas, to music videos. He was thoroughly overwhelmed. 

He also realised how relaxed Phil was around him, and how close they were currently sitting — shoulder to shoulder with their backs against the headboard. He almost felt human.

“I’ve always wanted to make a video of my own, but... well... I’m not good enough.” Phil said softly. Dan could feel the other deflate slightly beside him and frowned. 

“Says who? I would definitely watch it.” And he wasn’t just saying that to make Phil feel better. Phil’s personality and aura was infectious and Dan wanted more. 

Phil remained silent for a moment, thinking it over. Finally he spoke again, voice hesitant. “Will you be in it too?”


	4. Chapter 4

The subject of the Youtube video was the Sims, a game Dan found fascinating. It was like playing God. He took a step back at the beginning and let Phil tell him all about the game’s mechanics before being handed the reins. 

“So, basically, we need to make a character.” Phil explained, leaning against Dan’s shoulder as he squinted down at the screen. “And then choose a suitable name.”

Dan rummaged through the available options; applying whichever caught his eye, until he heard a soft laugh and paused.

“You’ve made him look like me.” Phil commented with a shy grin. 

“Well... that’s because you’re the perfect looking human.” Dan replied, now choosing the correct eye colour. He turned to face Phil, studied his eyes, then focused on the screen again. 

The words had come out before he could really stop them—but they were all true. He was the angel and yet Phil looked like one. His entire aura glowed. 

Dan didn’t realise that Phil was staring at him oddly, not until he looked up again. 

“What? What is it?”

He started to panic. Were his wings on show? No. Could Phil somehow detect that he was not human? It was possible.

“I barely know you, and yet I’ve trusted you with my life.” 

Oh. Dan relaxed. That was an angel thing. Humans often felt safe around them. But he could hardly tell Phil that, could he? All these secrets were starting to build up and he hated it. Hated having to lie. But for now the lies kept Phil safe. If the other angels found him and asked questions, it would get ugly. Fast.

“Maybe we’re secretly soul mates.” It was a nice — no, wonderful — thought. But one he couldn’t linger on, because Phil wasn’t his. And he had to remember that. 

He returned to the Sims and started changing a few things around. Now the character looked like a mixture of them both.

“Better?” He asked; waiting for Phil’s approval before he clicked ‘done.’

Phil laughed again and Dan was starting to get addicted to the sound. It made his chest swell with... something. Something new and exciting.

“Much better! Now he truly does look like the perfect human.” 

It was no surprise that they named the character Dil.

xXx

The video was a lot of fun to make. Even if it was mostly Dan taking forever to build a house, and then trying to buy all the expensive stuff to deck it out with. It wasn’t until Phil began to yawn that Dan finally noticed the time. 

3am.

“You should sleep.”

No response.

Twisting his head a little to see better, the view almost killed Dan. Phil was nuzzled against his shoulder, eyes closed and snoring softly. 

“Oh.”

As quietly as possible, he saved the game and shut down the laptop. Then wondered what to do next. Honestly, he could have stayed this way forever. The warmth bleeding into him from Phil was heavenly. But he didn’t want to cross any lines or push some unknown boundary so with some obvious reluctance, he gave Phil a little nudge. 

“Hey... Phil? I think you’d be comfier laying down.”

Phil simply made an unintelligible noise and went back to sleep. 

It was so, so tempting to just stay put. 

Dan honestly debated it. But then, almost against his will, he slid off the bed. Phil flopped onto the pillows and emitted a cute huff, but then settled into a deep sleep. 

For the first time in forever, Dan was glad he existed. And even more glad that he fell. Heaven was pretty, but earth had Phil. Carefully grabbing the duvet, he tucked the other in and watched him for a few moments; his fingers gently brushing through Phil’s dark hair. 

He was meant to be on the run, but how could he leave now? 

Conflicted, Dan turned off the lights and left the bedroom, pausing in the doorway to hear Phil’s soft snores. The steady rise and fall of his chest. He was safe, for now. 

Padding into the living room, he froze. Body suddenly tense.

Because he wasn’t alone.


	5. Chapter 5

An archangel was stood in the centre of the room; golden wings shimmering majestically. 

“Oh, how the mighty f a l l.”

Dan gritted his teeth together. This particular archangel was called Gabriel — and he was the messenger — though Dan wasn’t expecting the message to be anything pleasant. 

“What do you want, Gabriel?” He spat out, moving ever so slightly to block the bedroom door from view.

Gabriel chuckled quietly. “I just wanted to pay my disgraced little brother a visit — is that so wrong?” He paused momentarily, gaze flicking around the room. “And to warn you.”

Stiffening, Dan balled his hands into fists. The lack of emotion in Gabriel’s eyes made him uneasy. His wings twitched and he stretched them out to their full potential; now completely protecting Phil’s whereabouts.

“Warn me?”

Angels were meant to be peaceful beings of a higher intelligence — and yet he and Gabriel were throwing daggers at each other. 

“Your little secret. That human you’re so desperately trying to protect. They’re coming for him. The others.” Gabriel turned to stare out of the window. It was pitch black and moonless. “And when they find him, well... it won’t be fun. Not for you, anyway.”

Dan felt his heart drop. A lump formed in his throat. The thought of a dozen or so ruthless angels against Phil made him nauseous and scared.

“Why? Why are they after him? He hasn’t done anything wrong!” His voice rose with each word, anger starting to bubble deep within his chest. The angels would have to get past h i m first.

Gabriel noticed the anger, the emotions practically radiating off of Dan, and he tsked softly. “Do you remember why you fell?” 

A pause. 

 

“No.” It was the truth. All he could remember was crashing to Earth. Anything before that was a blurry haze.

“Then let me enlighten you.— That human sent a prayer to Heaven and you received it.”

“Phil. Not ‘that human’. His name is Phil.” 

Gabriel simply rolled his eyes. “His name doesn’t matter. In fact, getting attached to him is just going to make the inevitable more painful.”

Before Dan could open his mouth, the archangel spoke again. “He prayed and you listened. Poor thing poured his entire heart out that night. He wanted to die so badly and yet... he also wanted forgiveness.”

Dan couldn’t remember any of this and it only made him angrier. 

“Heaven granted him the forgiveness, but that wasn’t enough for you, was it? You didn’t want him to die. So you ran to all the archangels and begged them to help you, to let you save him.” Gabriel gave a fake yawn, as though this conversation was boring him. “They told you to forget about him and return to your duties. But of course you didn’t. You plotted a way to come to Earth.”

The archangel tucked his wings in and flopped down onto the sofa. Dan didn’t move. 

“You disobeyed Heaven... and so they threw you out, wiping your memories along the way. But... somehow you landed in the same city as this boy and still managed to save him. It’s extraordinary.”

If this was all true and the angels really were coming, did Dan save Phil at all? And if Gabriel found him so quickly, would the others as well? 

“You literally fell for a human.”

“This still doesn’t explain why they want to kill him.” Dan growled. He was the one who disobeyed — so why target Phil?

“Because he was supposed to die on that rooftop. That was his destiny. Until you screwed it all up. Now Heaven wants to put things right — by disposing of you both.”

The archangel slowly got to his feet and straightened his suit. “This is your warning— Run. Run away and don’t look back because Heaven is pissed.”

He stretched out his golden wings, gave them a little shake and then took off into the night. 

xXx

Dan knew they couldn’t stay at Phil’s place. In fact, even now — only minutes since Gabriel had left — he felt like a sitting duck. A target. 

Summoning what little power he had left, he placed wards around the apartment — they wouldn’t keep archangels out, but would give him a heads up about their approach — and then went to check on Phil. 

Dan realised — then and there — that he had to tell the other everything. He needed Phil to come with him, and to trust him. There was no other choice. 

He padded back into the bedroom and sat down down on the bed; eyes checking the clock. It was 5am. Still too early. But if the others were already on their way, he had to act now. 

Phil looked so peaceful asleep — like the world couldn’t touch him, hurt him. But it could. And in ways the human couldn’t even imagine. 

Dan nudged him gently, only receiving a soft ‘no’ in response. He huffed and prodded him again. 

And again and again and again.

Until Phil finally got the message and cracked open one sleepy eye. 

“It’s still dark... can’t this wait?” He mumbled into the pillow, already starting to doze off again. 

“No, we’re in danger.” Dan tried to keep his voice down, tried to keep calm, but panic was slowly setting in. Every precious moment was being wasted. 

“Danger?” At least this caught his attention. Sitting up stiffly, Phil rubbed the sleep from his eyes whilst staring at Dan. He looked like a confused puppy. 

“You sent a prayer saying you wanted to die.” 

“How do you know tha—...”

Dan stood up again. Even though it was dark, Phil could still make out his silhouette. 

“I know because I’m the angel who answered your prayers...” 

Silently, he dropped the glamour on his wings—bringing them into view and stretching each one out. They almost dominated the entire bedroom. 

“And I’m the one who’s come to save you.”

Out of all the possible reactions Dan expected, Phil throwing himself backwards and falling off the other side of the bed wasn’t one of them.


	6. Chapter 6

“Phil?”

“Stay away from me!”

Dan gritted his teeth together— dark eyes fixated on the other boy. They didn’t have time for this!

“Phil, listen—“

“I trusted you!” Phil blindly reached out with one hand — refusing to take his gaze off Dan — and grabbed a pillow, which he proceeded to hug against his chest like a shield. 

“And I haven’t betrayed that trust, have I?”

He wasn’t human enough to understand why Phil was suddenly behaving this way, and it frustrated him. He wanted to help, to make things better, but how?

“Just get out.”

No. He couldn’t do that. Phil was literally in danger — and it was all Dan’s fault. Maybe the boy did have a reason to be upset, after all. 

He dropped his wings — causing Phil to scrabble backwards once more — and threw the glamour up; attempting to appear human again.

“I’m not leaving,” He tried, voice soft. “Not until you’re safe.”

Phil seemed to relax a little now that the giant scary wings were gone, though he still eyed Dan with fear. A small part of his brain was desperately hoping that this was all one whacky nightmare. 

“Why... why wouldn’t I be safe?” 

Dan hesitated. He wanted to tell Phil the truth, but didn’t want to push him over the edge. Sitting down on the bed, he patted the empty spot beside himself, silently hoping to coax Phil off the floor.

“I screwed up, big time, but I don’t regret it.” He watched as Phil gingerly clambered back onto the mattress, though he still kept some distance from Dan. Still showed fear. “I’m an angel. You prayed to me and I listened.”

Phil just blinked. He seemed to be struggling to comprehend the word ‘angel.’

“Anyway, long story short, I fucked with fate. And now there’s archangels coming for us.” Dan turned his gaze towards the window. Aside from dawn slowly starting to break, all seemed quiet outside. “They want to rip my wings out and toss me into Hell.”

“You actually have... wings? I wasn’t simply, uh, hallucinating?”

“I do for now.” Dan muttered grimly. He was attached to his wings and didn’t want them to be mutilated by a bunch of savage archangels, but he liked Phil more and so—didn’t regret a thing.

Phil still seemed to be struggling however. “Can I... see them?”

At least he was no longer telling Dan to get out. That was an encouraging sign. Dan complied, only bringing one wing into view this time. He flexed the inky coloured feathers and waited for Phil’s reaction.

Phil shuffled closer, mouth agape in awe. He was probably the first human to ever lay eyes on an angel’s wing, and he didn’t even know how special that made him.

“They’re beautiful...” He breathed, carefully extending one hand to brush his fingers over the dark feathers. Now that the initial shock had subsided, he could appreciate them. Dan felt a jolt of electricity shoot up his spine at the contact and barely suppressed a shudder.

What the heck was that?!

Whatever it was, he enjoyed it. Immensely. His wing twitched and trembled under Phil’s touch, as though the boy knew where each and every sensitive spot was. The more he explored the soft, fluffy feathers, the more he relaxed. Placing one palm on top of the wing, he stroked it from root to tip; completely mesmerised. Dan squirmed.—How was this affecting him so much? If Phil kept it up, he’d soon be putty in the human’s hands.

“They have like... a green tinge to them.” Phil mumbled, now running the pad of his thumb over a large outer flight feather. Dan almost fell off the bed with how /good/ it felt. He was struggling to stay composed and all sense of urgency had thoroughly abandoned him. 

“They used to be white. Like a real angels but well, that all changed when I came to Earth.”

“I love them like this. They’re unique and one of a kind. Like you.” He leaned back slightly and blinked up at Dan. “Why did you save me? I mean... surely there’s more important people out there?”

Not to Dan. This precious little human was everything to him. No one else on Earth could have made him fall. 

“No, no one’s more important. I saw you and you looked so sad, so alone, and it made /me/ sad. And to Heaven that was wrong. Angels shouldn’t feel.” He paused, eyes flicking towards the window again. Still safe. “But to me, it felt... right. Like I finally had a reason to exist, other than just following orders. You gave me freedom and Heaven hates that. It makes me defective. So they’re going to put things right.”

Phil’s face went impossibly pale. “By chopping off your wings and dragging you down under? That’s barbaric!”

Dan agreed wholeheartedly, but still.

“It’s better than the alternative — which is to remove all my emotions and make me their soldier again. But I don’t want that— I refuse to lose what I feel for you. That’s why we have to leave, run, until I can figure out a plan.”

And right on cue, almost as though waiting for Dan to finish, a loud crash came from the living room.


	7. Chapter 7

‘They’re here.’

Dan’s blood ran cold as the sound of voices filled his ears. He immediately recognised Gabriel and two other angels. 

‘Find him and his little human.’ Gabriel barked impatiently. He paced around the room, glass crunching under his feet. 

‘We need to leave.’ Dan whispered urgently, motioning towards the window. His heart was pounding so hard that it started to hurt, yet it gave him a much needed adrenaline rush. ‘Right now.’

Grabbing Phil by the arm, he pushed the human rather unceremoniously towards their only form of escape.

‘Uhhh, you may not have noticed —but I can’t fly!’ Phil protested, gripping onto the window ledge for dear life. 

‘You need to trust—‘

Suddenly the door burst open, revealing a very bored looking Gabriel. 

‘You can’t escape, little bro.’ The archangel stepped into the room and peered around, feigning interest. Then with a snap of his fingers, he sent Dan flying straight through the unopened window. 

The angel plummeted thirty feet towards the concrete ground before his wings snapped open and he managed to level himself. Blood and glass stained his feathers but luckily, they were still working. Beating them in a frantic manner, Dan soared back towards Phil’s apartment. 

If they hurt him...

No, he couldn’t think about that.

 

He reached Phil’s room, squeezing in through the hole in the glass and then froze, eyes wide. The place was completely trashed, fragments of wood, glass and plastic covering the bed in a very uncomfortable looking blanket. 

But most importantly, Phil was missing. 

Dan blazed through the apartment, checking room after room for his human, but to no avail. 

The window in the living room was utterly destroyed, leaving a cold air blowing in. Dan tried to contain and fight back his panic, but he knew what Gabriel and the other angels were capable of. 

‘Give him back!’ He cried angrily, his hands balling into fists. 

He could sense Phil’s fear. It clung to him, and maybe — just maybe — he could use it to track his friend. 

Stretching out his sore wings, he shook off the debris and set off into the night, anger and determination the only things keeping him from crumbling. 

He had to find Phil.

He just h a d to. 

The more he flew, the more Phil’s terror clung to him. The human was screaming out for help, and it made Dan nauseous. 

Angels were meant to protect people — watch over them — not participate in torture. 

Especially not someone as pure as Phil.

He pushed on, soaring over buildings and freeways, until the signal stopped. Below him was the same building he had originally found Phil on, and there he was again; teetering on the edge. 

 

Even from a height, Dan could see the tear streaked face of his friend, and hear the words tumbling out of Phil’s mouth.

‘I don’t want to die, please...please.’

But Gabriel was unmoving— his expression completely blank as he nudged Phil over the edge as though he was nothing.


End file.
